NFL Wife Becomes Brain Injury Advocate After Ex's CTE

Jasmatia Schaefering spent nearly 20 years as an NFL wife, dedicating everything to her husband's career while raising four kids. When he retired, she faced an identity crisis, but the real challenges were just beginning.

Her ex-husband was diagnosed with brain damage and precursors to chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative brain disease caused by repeated head injuries. At 40, Jasmatia became his full-time caretaker, diving deep into research about brain health, disability benefits, and treatments.

She discovered that proper nutrition and cannabis treatment made remarkable differences. Her then-husband stopped stuttering as much and started engaging with their children again. She educated their four kids on managing his emotional highs and lows, describing the transformation as "day and night."

The couple divorced in June 2024, but Jasmatia continues supporting her ex through his health struggles. She's also discovered a bigger problem: NFL insurance plans expire relatively quickly after retirement, leaving players with serious injuries struggling to find adequate care.

Why This Inspires

Instead of harboring resentment, Jasmatia is turning her experience into action. She wants to partner with the NFL to prevent life-changing injuries and create better support systems for families dealing with brain trauma.

"I don't want to go after them. I'd rather partner with them so that it grows instead of being squashed," she explains. Her goal is making an impact for wives, kids, and players who can't keep pretending everything is fine.

But Jasmatia isn't just advocating for others anymore. She's finally building her own future too. She landed a job at a large communications company and is going back to school to become a product manager.

Her message to current NFL partners resonates beyond football: "Figure out what it is you want to do and who you are because you have dreams too. Don't forget those dreams. Don't let them go just because his is taking off."

After years of sacrifice, Jasmatia is proving you can care for others while still caring for yourself, and it's never too late to chase the dreams you set aside.